William lott



(No Model.) y r I W LOTT. 7

TONGS. N0.'531,l26. 1 I PatentedDeo. 18, 1894.

W i Lnesses:

Attorheys l UNITED STATES OFFICE.-

TONGQS.

srnorrroarron forming part of Letters Patent No. 531,126, dated December 18, 1894.

Application filed a, 31, 1894.. serial No. 519,091. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Lorna citizen of theUnitedStates, residing at D uquesne, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tongs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the' invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a tion.

My invention relates to improvements in tongs, and particularly to that class of heavy part of this specificatongs used in iron mills, which are especially adapted to be used in connection with a crane or other similar support.

Tongs generally in use at present for heavy mill work, require the services of a man either to aid when the ingot or other burden is gripped by the tongs or whenit is released.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple pair of tongs that will work automatically and thereby do-away with the presence of any one to aid in gripping or releasing the object desired to be transferred.

With this end in view, my invention consists, generally stated, of a combination of lever arms, gripping-jaws, having certain characteristics, and toggle-arms pivotally connecting said lever arms to a central hanger, all as more fully hereinafter described.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view in elevation, showing gripping jaws closed,'and Fig. 2, a similar view, showing jaws open.

Referring to the drawings, a and b are lever arms each provided with a jaw, c, integral therewith. The arms, a, and b, are preferably made straight, and they increase in size as they approach their point of intersection. The arm, a, is enlarged andcurved at d, and through this enlargement a curved slot, e, is formed. Through the slot, 6, the arm, I), is passed and the two arms at this point are pivoted together by a pin, The object of the slot e, in one of the arms is to form opposite, rigid bearings for the lever arms, and to thereby guide and limit the movementsof the lever arms.

The jaws, c, are curved jaws of the usual to be gripped and lifted is touched thereby,

as more fully hereinafter described. Each jaw on its inner side above the curved end is provided with a gripping tooth, m.

The lever arms, a and b, at their upper ends are connected by toggle-j oints to levers, h, h. The toggle-levers at their upper ends are pivotally joined, and connected to the forked end of a hanger, t', by a pin,j. The hanger, vi, preferably consists of a stifi straight bar forked at one end with the other end made so that it may be readily attached to a buggy or carriage situated on a crane. The tongs are hung freely from this crane, and when in this normal position the, jaws are caused to approach each other, by reason of the weight and leverage of the parts.

In using my invention the tongs are moved directly over the ingot or other object to be lifted and moved, the tongs are lowered, and the curved extension, g, of each jaw, strikes the object causing the jaws to be spread apart to the desired width, to descend the sides of the object and embrace it. The tongs are then raised, the jaw teeth bite the ingot or other object and hold it until it is deposited in the place desired. To release the burden the tongs are lowered which causes the jaws to bear down and to speard apart. The jaws being spread their grip on the load is released and while thus spread the buggy or carriage on the crane, to which the tongs are attached, is moved and the tongs freed from the ingot.

It will be noticed'that the'tongs work entirely automatically and for this reason great saving in labor and time is accomplished.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is--,-

' The combination with the straight lever- IOO in an outwardly curved extension, g, extending substantially at right angles to the jaw, of the toggle-arms, h, h, pivotally connected to the ends of said lever-arms and extending 5 inwardly therefrom, and a stifi hanger, 2', to

arms are guided and limited, substantially [O as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

which the inner ends of said toggle-arms are WILLIAM LOTT pivoted, one of said lever-arms provided with Witnesses:

J OHN M. PRESCOTT, J r., W. G.D0oL1TTLn.

a slot, e, through which the other arm is passed, whereby the movements of the lever 

